The successor to the Bugatti Chiron will be unveiled in June 2024, and underneath its coupé shape will once again be a 16-cylinder engine. It will no longer be arranged in a W but in a V, which is virtually the same as having two in-line 8-cylinder engines side by side. Imagine the scene when you open the bonnet and find yourself in front of such a 'monster'. An engine around a metre long, as Mate Rimac (the company's CEO) told the Financial Times Future of the Car event in London.
During the meeting, the Croatian executive gave a few details about the new Bugatti hypercar, its engine and the fate that awaited it before Rimac bought 55% of the shares from the Volkswagen group.
Distinctive and unique
Let's start in order. What will the new Bugatti hypercar look like? Rimac has stated that the shape will be an evolution of the Chiron, which itself is very close aesthetically (and not only) to the Veyron. This stylistic continuity will maintain the coupé's imposing bodywork.
An element that Volkswagen's top management had dismissed at the time, concentrating on an electric SUV coupé. Strangely enough, it was Mate Rimac himself who changed all that, going all electric, founding the company that bears his name and becoming a supplier to other manufacturers.
From a certain point of view, electric power would have been more practical to use, as it would have been possible to rely on the Nevera's powertrain, which could then have been customised with a dedicated body or perhaps opted for a plug-in hybrid V8. But Rimac's thoughts (and those of all enthusiasts) can be summed up in one simple sentence: "If it's comparable to other cars, it's not a Bugatti".
Engine length
Let's return to the engine of the next Bugatti. As we said, it will be a V16 40 cm longer than the W16, and it won't just change the cylinder layout. There will be two major differences.
Firstly, the Bugatti V16 will be naturally aspirated. There will be no quadruple turbo like on the Veyron and Chiron, confirming what had been rumoured for some time. Listening to the sound of the car, the presence of a naturally-aspirated engine was almost taken for granted, but now we know for sure.
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The second major difference is the presence of electrification. We still don't know whether it will be a light hybrid module or a rechargeable powertrain, which is bigger and heavier. It is almost certain, however, that power will exceed the 1,500 PS of the 'basic' Chiron, and that it will undergo further development over the course of its history. Perhaps it will try to win the title of fastest production car in the world.
And the name? The teaser video above is called 'For Eternity'. Who knows, maybe next month we'll see the debut of the Bugatti 'Eternity'.